Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-12
HELD FOR RANSOM.

Sin 1853" said Thomas Thompson, ~after !
had been III Of fever for two months at
Georgetown, British Guiana, q general trader
ut that port named William Chester fitted out
= small schooner to proceed up the river Is
sequibo to barter for the native products Of
the country. Aberth was offered me, and I
was only too glad to accept it.
1.-THE craft which our owner fitted out was
an old coaster which had been wrecked Or
condemned and sold at auction. The schooner
was provided with two small boats, which
were old and patched. As to the cargo, I sup
pose it was all right, and there was no reason
to doubt that the captain, whose name was
Larkins, and the mate. whose name was
Wardell, were sailor men and knew their
business. We numbered twelve men aboard,
there being nine Of us before the mast.
We were only on our voyage two days
when we discovered the reason Of our being
30 full handed. When thel wind was not
favorable w were expected to tow tho
schooner, and after a day or two this back
breaking work was put upon as a regular
duty.
"After getting above the last military post
we were among the natives, with only our
selves to depend upon, and while we discov-
cred nothing hostile in their demeanor, the
and when we cam to anchor at night q
strong watch was kept, and we made ready
against a surprise. After the first four days
we began bartering for pelts, roots, gums,
woods and the like, and everything was
plain sailing. It was on the tenth day out,
at about mid-afternoon, that trouble came.
We were towing the schooner ahead against
= sluggish current, in a portion of the river
split into several channels by bars. l was Or
dered into the small boat, along with James
Keys and William Price, sailor men, to sound
a channel and pick out a berth for the night.
While the schooner was being held by the
yawl, we forged ahead around a bend in the
river, and the thick forest shut out the craft
from our vision. 1t wasn't two minutes
after we lost sight of the schooner before
three canoes each holding five natives,
dashed out at us from the mouth Of the creek.
The black fellows made no noise, but padded
full at us. This put US I'M fix, you understand.
There had been no hostilities as yet, and it
would not do to fire upon them, though, on
the other hand, we couldn't understand why
were making for US in that manner. W.
didn't have more than four or five minutes to
spare. I was sounding, while Keys and
Price were rowing. Price dropped his oar
and raised a musket, but we protested, and
he laid it down again. Next moment We
were surrounded, and a dozen Of the fellows
had their hands on our boat. They were
armed with bows and arrows and old British
muskets. While they offered us no violence,
could plainly understand from their ges-
lures that we were prisoners. They took the
oars and muskets from our boat, and in the
course OF five minutes We found ourselves
in the stream from which they had first ap-
peared.
"'Mates,' says I, a we were being lowed
ashore, its plain enough that we have been
made prisoners and disarmed. 1t doesn't ap-
pear, however, that they mean us any great
harm, and it will perhaps be our wisest plan
not to provoke them to violence
II expected we would he landed on tho
OF the creek, but in place of that two Of
shs natives came into the yawl, her painter
was taken by one of the canoes, and we wen
lp the creek at a smart pace. Tho forest was
dense on either side that it was twilight in
and We could hardly see each others
aces. The creek was about thirty feet wide
md quite deep. We we're about half a mile
rom the river when we heard the report of a
The gun had been fired on board
he schooner for q recall. The report some
excited the natives, and at the COM
nand OF their chief they pulled ahead the
aster. Price was a man of hot temper, and
be had recovered his wits and realized
bat we were being carried of, he advised
bat we make a fight for our liberty. While
t might be that the natives understood a few
words of English, it is more likely that the
ono Of his voice and his excitement gave
hem the cue. One of the fellows in the yawl
With us had a musket, and he cooked it and
'eld the weapon within a foot of my mates
'reast. That was to warn him that any
move on his part would he bis own death,
nd he soon subsidized.
II think we must have gone up the river
ully eight miles before we came to their vii
age. 1t was not on the bank of the stream, !
mt half a mile away, and approached by
lch tortuous paths through the dense forest
hat 1t was plain to understand they were q
varlike and strategic tribe, and that all the
edcoats in British Guiana could not success I
ully attack the place. Each path, a I after |
Yard came to know, was defended by a sort
t abattis. and a sentinel or scout wa always |
n duty. Our advent into tho village created
ut little surprise, and this mostly among tho
and children. This was pretty good
roof chat the sight of a white man was no
ovelty to the men. We were held under
uard on a piece of vacant ground within the
illage for a few minutes, while one Of the
atives went of to see the chief; and during
his interval l said to tho men:
att il true, mates, that we have been made |
r~isoners, but we must hope for the best. 1t
most likely, from the looks Of everything, |
hat We are being held for ransom. In case
re are separated here and one of US has the
lex to get away, let him take the creek for
is compass to get back to the river
"Price growled back in an angry tone, say
lg that bnt for me we could have beaten
lem of, but Keys was silent. l think he
as considerably overcome by our situation.
.fter a bit the native returned, and we were
and marched off in different direc. |